Kawasaki World Superbike Team Preparing For Final Test Of 2012 Calendar Year

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The last KRT test of the 2012 calendar year will take place at new SBK venue of Jerez between 26 and 28 November, with Tom Sykes and Loris Baz set to make more progress with their 2013 spec machinery.

The extensive Kawasaki testing programme in readiness for the 2013 season will continue on after the mandatory testing ban is completed in mid-January. Until that time these three days at Jerez will be the last chance to make on-track evaluations of all new material and strategies designed to make both Tom Sykes and Loris Baz even stronger contenders for glory in the 2013 SBK season.

Sykes, almost the champion in 2012, has been has frequently been the fastest man on track, no matter the testing venue and no matter the competition. The main focus of testing is always to improve set-up for race distances, but even when running race trim Sykes still has the happy capability of putting in devastatingly fast single lap times when required.

Young French rider Loris Baz will still be 19-years-old when testing reconvenes after the winter break but his more immediate focus will be on Jerez, a circuit he is looking forward to riding his official Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R around after good testing displays at Aragon and Valencia recently.

Tom Sykes: "I have only ever done a few laps at Jerez, due to weather conditions, but it was a circuit that I really enjoyed. It is our final test before the break so hopefully we can gain a lot of information and work hard with this testing data in the off-season. This is our last chance to evaluate some parts and ideas, and things are going relatively well, but I would like to get more information to give to the team and KHI engineers so we can arrive at the start of next year in an even stronger condition. Pirelli has done a good job with the 17-inch tyres and I am very impressed with them. So far the transition has been quite smooth. We will take the testing as it comes."

Loris Baz: "I hope we can get some nice days of weather in Jerez because I am really looking forward to this test. I want to get some more good information before we have the 'relaxed month' of the testing ban. It will be a very important test for next season so I cannot wait to get going. I really like Jerez and I am looking forward to riding my Superbike there. We tried some nice things in our previous test at Motorland Aragon and I cannot wait to confirm these good steps in Jerez."

Team Manager Guim Roda: "This will be the last test of 2012 winter season. Kawasaki and all in the team are working so hard to improve a bike that took second in the WSBK championship, just 0.5 points behind Max Biaggi. So it is not an easy job. Tom is also working hard to start on an even better level than he finished this year, which will also not be easy. Loris is the one we have to help manage more as he is 19 years old and yet the level of performance we will request of him for 2013 will not be easy. So he has too has a hard job. Everybody is concentrating on continuing to get podiums with the Ninja ZX-10R, as are all our partners and sponsors. Kawasaki of course, but also Motocard, Leo Vince, Elf, Bubel and our technical partners are making very big efforts to support the project. All of them add their passion and support to the team, even in what is an economically hard global situation. We want to say thanks to all of them as we continue into 2013. Let us see in Jerez how we can manage on a new track with no real reference points for us."